Supervalu throws in $1 million in support of youth sports

By Michael Johnsen

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — Supervalu on Tuesday announced its commitment of $1 million to sponsor 1,542 youth sports teams in markets where its banners operate.

“Because diet and exercise are important to well-being, we saw this sponsorship as a complement to our focus on helping our shoppers eat well and a nice way to support stronger — and healthier — neighborhoods," stated Shelly Nelson, Supervalu corporate director of strategic media services.

The sponsorships, which began last spring, have helped to offset the cost of local youth baseball and soccer programs for kids between the ages of 4 years and 10 years. All told, the sponsorships have supported 1,542 teams — 761 baseball teams and 781 soccer teams — enabling more than 20,000 kids with the opportunity to participate in sports.